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Monday, January 23, 2012

STOP oversexualizing everything!

I made a status on The Good Letdown on facebook that said "There is nothing that Ella (15 months old) finds funnier then when I drink her milkies. I suck her "boobie" in my mouth and make a loud smacking noise and say "Nom nom, I'm drinking Ella's milkies!" she giggggggglessss her little butt off. The other day, I asked her if I could have some of Ella's milkies and she pulled her shirt down and leaned forward! It was HILARIOUS!"

Apparently, some moms took that to mean I was molesting my child's chest and giving her hickies all over her chest. Okay, they didn't say that precisely but someone commented about how "weird" it was that I was "sucking on my baby's chest"..and 8 people "liked" her comment. Then some other people started bringing out words like "molestation" and "inappropriate". Okay ladies. Really? REALLY? Because I used the word "sucked" and didn't specify that I wasn't actually sucking on it like a friggin' lollipop but just playfully doing it, you automatically turn it into something weird? It's like, if we use any word that can be used in a sexual manner, it automatically must be about sex.

This is the type of thinking that causes the oversexualization of breastfeeding in general. Because breasts are involved, it automatically MUST be sexual, right? Well because I used the word "sucking" and said I was "sucking on my baby's chest", it has to be weird and sexual. Did I truly need to sit there and explain precisely what I was doing in order to appease all of you people out there who are so desperate to jump on someone and point fingers? And do you not see the correlation between you sexualizing the playful interaction between myself and my 15 month old baby and the sexualization of us nursing our babies?

So ladies, let's lay down our swords. We're on the same team. Think about what you're actually saying. I know we all have brains and I know we're capable of using them. I know, on the internet it's fun to sit behind out computers and find people to attack but if you really feel like leaving ridiculous comments over something that is OBVIOUSLY completely innocent, please feel free to move on or go over to any of the breastfeeding articles in the mainstream media and use your venom there. Don't use it to attack the adorable little game my baby and I play.

3 comments:

I think that's a cute game :) It is probably the word "suck" that is offputting to them. I don't think they would have gotten so riled if you had said "nurse" or " breastfeed" instead. Lactivists are going to get flack. Just try to ignore the negative comments and know that you are an awesome mom to a lucky little girl :)